In bipolar disorder, depression is often the neglected stepchild. Mania gets more attention, perhaps because it presents so dramatically. Imagine two bipolar patients in an emergency room: one withdrawn and depressed, sitting quietly, and another ranting and pacing the room. Which one would be seen first?

In the wake (pun intended) of last year’s FDA warnings of next-morning impairment and the lower dosing recommendations for “Z drugs,” wouldn’t now be the perfect time for a new hypnotic to enter the marketplace?

In psychiatry, personalization is largely based on “pharmacogenetics,” the selection of medications based on genetic factors associated with drug response and tolerability. Could your patient’s genetic code predict which medications you prescribe?

The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology’s (ABPN) new Maintenance of Certification (MOC) process has created an uproar in many physician circles. It’s not the idea of proving competence that inflames strong emotions among physicians, it’s the manner in which MOC is being implemented.

Since I last wrote about MOC in 2010, the most relevant news has not been within the program itself, but in the increasingly rancorous reaction against its requirements from physicians of all specialties. Regardless, it doesn’t look like ABPN is going to be ditching MOC any time soon, so this article pretty much lays out what you have to do, without (much) editorializing.

After a psychiatric drug is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a marketing juggernaut often follows, trying to convince us that the newly approved drug offers substantial benefits for treating a mental disorder. But how does the FDA determine whether to approve a drug? What follows is a breakdown of the process.

All editorial content is peer reviewed by the editorial board. Dr. Albucher, Dr. Balt, Dr. Gardiner, Dr. Goldberg, Dr. Lyman, Dr. Megna, Dr. Mick, Dr. Posternak, Dr. Spielmans, and Dr. Zuckerman have disclosed that they have no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity. Dr. Balt discloses that his spouse is employed as a sales representative for Otsuka America, Inc.

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